It’s no secret by now that the world’s in the midst of great changes, and many of them are driven by millennials coming of age. Thanks to today’s widely-available technologies, we’re enjoying opportunities for work and play that wouldn’t have been possible for a previous generation.

Working From Home

It might not be a “right,” but working from home is certainly a positive and beneficial thing — for employee and employer alike. Working from home reduces a company’s overhead and can help employees improve productivity and morale, since familiar surroundings foster peace-of-mind.

Flexible Hours

We’re finding there are fewer and fewer reasons to stick to the familiar nine-to-five scheduling paradigm that’s shaped so many decades of economic progress. Put more simply, it just makes good sense to let employees follow a less rigid schedule. Emergencies happen. So do children, appointments, dates and impromptu sushi outings with friends.

Unlimited Maternity and Paternity Leave

We’ve been operating under the false assumption that when given the opportunity to slack off, people will abuse that opportunity. The thing is, formal studies reveal that folks who are free to pursue their obligations and interests on their own terms will pleasantly surprise you almost every time.

Countries as near as Canada are even testing the theory that providing a basic universal income would free our schedules and minds to pursue innovation, improve ourselves, learn new skills, start businesses, invent things and generally engage in turning the wheels of progress. So far, things look promising.

What Is The Future Of Work?

It’s really not too early to start talking about that world. We seem comfortable speaking of a future where office employees can take vacations nearly at will — are we also ready to talk about what happens when we have millions fewer truckers and manufacturing plants filled with hundreds of robots but just a dozen humans?

The conversation is already underway — partially thanks to technology and partly because we’re handing the economy’s reins off to millennials. As the future of work becomes larger on the horizon, we’ll quickly find that unlimited PTO is just the tip of the “What comes next?” iceberg.

To all the night owls out there, morning people are like an alien life form which cannot be understood. How do they do it?

Don’t fret! Getting up at 6 a.m. and taking on the day like a boss will be your forte in no time. Remember, it only takes 21 days to form a habit and go from morning hater to lover!

Here’s a list of simple hacks you can try to become a go-getter in the morning!

Make the most of the night before – including showering!
Setting out your outfit for the next day, replenishing your gym bag and preparing your meals can all be evening tasks that set you up for a smoother morning. Plus, it’s time better spent than lounging on the couch and staring into your TV screen, which actually prevents you from falling asleep, leaving you feeling groggy the next day. In other countries, it’s actually considered super weird to shower in the mornings, because there’s just too much to get accomplished and get going. Wake up with dry hair-ready to style!

Stretch it out
Your body and mental stability will thank you for putting aside just a few minutes a day for stretching. Stretching increases your blood flow and energy levels, finding some time for yoga in the morning helps you find your zen and set your intentions for the day!

Eat Breakfast
A light, nutritious meal is all you need to fuel your brain and tackle the day ahead. You could also try drinking a mug of hot water with a lemon slice and some honey-you’ll be ditching the need for coffee in no time!

Give yourself a pep talk
Self love is so important and there is no shame in practicing it! So go ahead and give yourself some confidence to take with you throughout your day. Who knows, it could even lead to a raise!

You know what they say, ‘the early bird catches the worm!’ What are some of your life hacks to get you up and going in the morning?

Numerous factors impact our creativity, happiness, and productivity. That is why companies work to manicure their offices to elicit the best out of their teams.

The Connection Between Office Lighting and Productivity

Recent studies have revealed a significant connection between office lighting and productivity. The American Society of Interior Design found that 68 percent of employees are discontent with the lighting in their offices. That is an important statistic to keep in mind, because an even larger number may not even be aware that the light in their offices is impacting them in any way.
But the connection between lighting and depression, lighting and creativity, and lighting and overall productivity is significant.

These are three things business owners need to know about office lighting:

Manage Stress

Stress is an intractable problem in every company. The good news is, the human body naturally copes with stress by emitting cortisol, sometimes called the ‘stress hormone’. When circumstances pressure the mind into difficult decisions and panic begins to set in, cortisol rushes to the rescue and normalizes our responses.

The problem is, artificial light reduces our cortisol levels. Suddenly narratives from the movie Office Space begin to make more sense. When we are deprived of our natural cure for stress, we act erratically. There are tens of thousands of offices that are all but designed to damage our stress management just by virtue of their lighting.

Boost Productivity

It goes without saying that harsh, bright lights damage productivity by making us depressed and stressed out. But science suggests that there is a type of light that boosts our productivity, and that is cool light.

Many companies are creating personalized controls for each employee. That means that those who like brighter light can get their work done in an environment more conducive to their own productivity without forcing their neighbor to endure the same experience. Customization is key.

Be More Alert

We do not have good eyesight in the dark and as a result many of our customs and evolved behaviors are impacted by the changing of day to night and night to day. Investigating your office environment to ensure you are not accidentally putting your employees to sleep is important.

When your whole team is alert, fewer mistakes are made, more work gets done, and everyone is more creative. All of that is the outcome of better lighting.
Small businesses employ the largest percentage of American workers and command the largest number of offices. It is important to invest in small innovations in order to keep the workforce healthy and productive. Founders and executives who are looking for investments they can make this year to enhance their teams should look outside the box for solutions.

There are all kinds of new and intriguing listings for positions that don’t require anything more than a GED or high school diploma, according to Brie Reynolds, the senior career specialist at Remote.co. The job opportunities cover a variety of fields and industries, and include both part-time and full-time work-from-home positions.

“Some of the most high-demand fields for flexible workers that don’t need a bachelor’s degree include data entry, administrative, software development, sales, customer service, and writing,” Brie told WomansDay.com. You can also obtain jobs in education, design, health care, marketing, and more.

Here are five remote jobs currently open to workers of all education levels.

Customer experience specialist: In this role as an online advisor, you’ll be responsible for corresponding with customers via email, social media, and live chat functions, and provide support to the company for their online projects.

Medical coding: In this full-time opportunity, you can receive free training on the latest medical coding technologies and systems to ensure you’re up-to-date on the latest practices in your industry.

Virtual assistant: Support staff and customers, coordinate scheduling, and manage timelines and projects among other tasks in this remote position.

Human resources business partner: This job will focus on creating and improving strategies for management, customer satisfaction, and business performance, and supporting leaders in the company.

Transcriptionist: This incredibly flexible job allows you to choose how many hours per week you want to work. This start-up company pays you according to the work you complete making it ideal for motivated individuals.